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Rana Bokhari is the new leader of the Manitoba Liberals, after claiming victory by just one vote more than a first-round win required.

"What an emotional roller-coaster, wow," said Bokhari.

About 250 delegates had registered by late Saturday morning to vote at the party's leadership convention. When combined with advanced and mail-in ballots, Bokhari needed 430 votes to reach the 50%-plus-one share required to win on the first ballot. She got 431.

Bokhari spoke of the need to improve the party's third-place fortunes.

"Strengthening this party will be no small task," she said.

Bokhari, who just turned 36, is the youngest person to ever lead the Manitoba Liberals.

The new leader will face the daunting challenge of improving the party's fate in the next election. It won a single seat and just 7.5% of the vote in 2011.

But Bokhari said the party is already growing, as her campaign alone attracted 600 new members to raise the party's provincial total to 2,146.

Bokhari wasn't sure if she'll stop working as a lawyer to focus all of her time on her new political post.

"I was not working full time even during the campaign, so I might keep doing what I've been doing, which is continue to work a few hours a week just to maintain the interest," she said.

Bokhari still requires a seat in the legislature and it's unclear what riding she'll choose since outgoing leader Jon Gerrard may still run to be MLA for River Heights in the next election.

But Bokhari noted raising "memberships and money" are her top initial priorities in her new job.

Nearly 700 votes were cast in advance and mail-in ballots.

The race attracted three candidates, including 44-year-old local business owner Dougald Lamont and 59-year-old political strategist Bob Axworthy.

Dougald Lamont, who came in second with 285 votes, told the crowd his Liberal father first inspired him to run for the leadership. Lamont aimed to improve wages for Manitobans and suggested eliminating the payroll tax in exchange for a corporate commitment to reinvest at least part of the savings in salary increases.

Axworthy finished the race in third place, with 131 votes.

He took aim at the current NDP government and Progressive Conservative opposition leader Brian Pallister.

"Don't let Pallister do to Manitoba what (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper has done to Canada," said Axworthy, who also accused the NDP of running "out of gas."